Out of the Cold
by LittleWhiteTie
Summary: Keith knew it would hurt, but he didn't think it would hurt this much.


Keith knew it would hurt, but he didn't think it would hurt this _much_. He watched as different emotions flickered across his teammates' faces: confusion, disbelief, revulsion, wariness, fear, sadness, distrust.

He didn't know when he'd started caring about what others thought of him, but he wished he could go back. Because this, it was _painful_ , even more so than the Trial had been.

 _"WHAT?"_ Lance was first to speak, jaw dropping, subtle as ever.

"I _said_ , I'm part Galra," Keith repeated, the words like acid on his tongue.

Hunk frowned. "But, like, are you sure? Because, dude, the Galra are _evil_ ," he said, ignoring the two Blades in the room. "And you're not evil. Wait. Are you? Are you?"

"How can you be so certain?" Coran asked, his face pinched and uncharacteristically solemn.

"He awoke his blade," Kolivan spoke up, gesturing to Keith's knife. "It is a feat only possible for one of Galra lineage."

"But _how?_ " Pidge asked, brow furrowed. "Like, logistically, that doesn't seem possible. I mean, it's so improbable that two species from entirely different planets, let alone ones as physiologically different from humans as the Galra, could produce viable offspring. …Although I guess if one of your parents was full Galra, we don't actually know if that's the case. Have you had any children?"

But Keith wasn't paying attention to Pidge's rambling. Instead, he was focused on the way the blood seemed to drain from Allura's face, how she staggered back as if she'd been physically struck. She looked at him with horror and heartbreak in her eyes - she had _trusted_ him - and then her expression shifted to a look cold enough to shatter steel. _"You…"_

Before they could say any more, Keith's strength gave out. Injured and exhausted, he swayed, falling to his knees. His head was swimming, but he felt Shiro's sturdy arms around him. " _Enough,"_ Shiro raised his voice, silencing the others. "Let's get you healed up," he said to him more softly, and then he was scooped up in Shiro's arms and carried to the infirmary. Keith didn't mind at all.

* * *

Keith pushed past everyone when he exited the cryopod. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed," he said before any of them could say anything and headed straight for his room. He tried not to notice Allura's absence.

He understood why Allura would avoid him. The Galra had destroyed everything she'd ever known and everyone she'd ever loved, and even if not all of them were the epitome of evil like Zarkon, billions of them followed his orders without question. And like she'd pointed out, any Galra who didn't agree with Zarkon's methods, including the Blade of Marmora, had still been complacent for ten thousand years.

In the hours Keith and Allura had spent together in that pod, they'd traded stories about Altea and Earth. Before ten thousand years ago, Altea had only ever known peace; the planet had always been united. So when he'd described Earth, she hadn't been able to fathom a planet so divided: hundreds of countries all fighting for land and power, wars upon wars upon wars. He recognized now that Alteans had never had to deal with racial tensions the way humans had, and so they'd never had to learn tolerance. He supposed that in a way, because of humanity's primitive nature, racial tolerance might be one of the few ways in which humans were actually more advanced than Alteans.

But still, as much as he could understand it, the hatred with which she'd looked at him cut deep. Keith was the same person he'd always been, still the same person she'd run away with just days before. She hated him, and there was nothing he could do to fix it.

"Keith?" The door slid open. Shiro stood in the doorway.

"I don't want to talk about it," Keith said. He was just so _tired_.

"That's fine," Shiro said gently, letting himself in. Keith moved over on his bed to make space and Shiro sat down beside him, a little closer than usual, shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh.

They settled into a comfortable silence. His presence calmed Keith's stormy thoughts, the way only Shiro ever could, and his thoughts slowly gravitated from Allura and the others to the man beside him. Shiro was patient and forgiving, his kindness unconditional no matter what ran through his blood or how he'd acted. Once he was less certain his voice would crack, Keith said quietly, "I'm sorry for being selfish."

Shiro frowned. "You know that was a hologram, right? I don't think that at all."

Keith searched his eyes, finding nothing but honesty. "You… don't?"

"I don't," Shiro reassured him. "And you know," he said, tilting his chin up, "You're important to me too."

Keith hadn't realized just how much he needed to hear that. He held onto Shiro like a lifeline as he wrapped his arms around him, and Keith sunk into his embrace.

As he held him, all the pain and exhaustion seemed to fade into the background. All that mattered was the strong arms holding him, the soft and steady breaths that tickled his ear, and the warmth that spread through his body and ignited his bones.

"I love you," Keith said, a quiet admission. He could never tell him just how much.

Shiro shifted so he could see him, and a sweet smile told him that he loved him too. He brushed his fingers against Keith's jaw in a tender gesture and pressed his lips to his forehead. Keith couldn't help but smile.

"It's been a long day," Shiro said after a while. "You should really get some sleep."

"Stay?" Keith asked quietly.

Shiro gave him a gentle smile in response. He wrapped an arm around his waist, tugged him down to the bed, and didn't let go.


End file.
